The present invention relates to a separation device according to the preamble of independent claim 1 for separating a rod-like element, like a smoking rod, from a plurality of rod-like elements, like smoking rods, stored in a storage as well as a method according to the preamble of independent claim 14 for separating a rod-like element, like a smoking rod, from a plurality of rod-like elements, like smoking rods, stored in a storage.
In particular, the present invention relates to a separation device for separating a rod-like element, like a smoking rod, from a plurality of rod-like elements, like smoking rods, stored in a storage. The separating device comprises a storage space having an approximately V-shaped cross section, for storing a plurality of at least approximately horizontally aligned rod-like elements. The storage space includes at least a front wall element, a rear wall element and two side wall elements, having a bottom section and a top section and a first opening provided in the upper region of the storage space for at least feeding the plurality of rod-like elements to the storage space from the top section toward the bottom section of the storage space in an approximately vertically downwardly directed feeding direction. Furthermore, invention relates to a method for separating a rod-like element, like a smoking rod, from a plurality of rod-like elements, like smoking rods, stored in a storage space.
In practice, rod-like elements, in particular smoking rods, are used for pendulous storing of sausage-shaped products, like sausages, comprising a hook-like or loop-shaped suspension element. For example, in the production of sausage products, using a clipping machine, a predetermined portion of sausage meat is filled into a tubular or bag-shaped packing casing closed at one end by e.g. a closing clip. After the filling operation is concluded, the tubular casing is closed at the second end by a second closing clip. Together with one of the closing clips, a suspension loop is attached to the sausage product. Thereafter, the sausage product is hung up to a smoking rod provided in a hanging line upstream the clipping machine. After a defined number of sausage products is hung up to said smoking rod, the smoking rod together with the sausage products is moved out off the hanging line and an empty smoking rod is fed to the hanging line.
In order to ensure feeding a single smoking rod to the hanging line, storage devices for storing and feeding smoking rods to a hanging line are used. From German patent 39 30 876, a method and a device for feeding and discharging smoking rods to and from an automatic hanging line are known. The device comprises a magazine for accommodating smoking rods. The magazine has an approximately triangular cross section with one tip facing downwardly and including at least a lower opening positioned at said tip for releasing a single smoking rod. The lower opening may be blocked and unblocked by two blocking levers. Said levers are pivotal arranged in order to allow a single smoking rod to be released out of the magazine via inclined guide bars towards a charging position at which sausages are to be hung up to said smoking rod.
In the known device, the separation of smoking rods has to be established by pivot levers positioned at the respective opening of the magazine. Smoking rods are urged by the force of gravity towards said opening. Depending on the number of smoking rods in the magazine, the smoking rod positioned adjacent to the releasing opening, is burdened by a varying weight of the smoking rods remaining in the magazine. Moreover, in case that the smoking rod positioned adjacent to the releasing opening, is blocked or engaged by a further smoking rod, no smoking rod may be fed to the hanging line, causing additional time and costs.